Drying apparatus.



W. T. HOOFNAGLE.

DRYING APPARATUS.

WITNESS S:

.n Mw,

W. T. HOOFNAGLE.

DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15, 1912.

.1,043,01 1. Patented 0G11. 29, 1912.

2 S 'ES-SHEET 2.

)UNITED STATES .PATENT OFFICE. v-

WILLIAM r. HooENAGLE, or GLEN `nInciE, NEW JERSEY, AssIeNon 'ro CHARLES r.

. EBOTHINGHAM, or NEW Yoan, N. r.

DEEING APPARATUS.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented :ct.29, 1912.

Original applicati-on led IarchIS, 1912, Serial No. 684,540. Divided and this application filed April 15,`

V .1912. Serial-No. 690,800.

To all whom 'itmay concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM T.' Hoor- NAGLE, a citizen of the United States, and a A .vented certain new and useful Improvements in Drying Apparatus, ofwhich the following is 4a specification. Y

The invention relates to machines for washing dishes and the like; and vis a division of an application liledby me on the 18th day of March, 1,912, and'bearing the Serial No. 684,540, andl in which the same is shown and described, but not speciically claimed. y 4

It relates more particularly to means for insuring 'the drying of the dishes after the same have been washed, and to this end consists in directing airunder high pressure toward the dishes, which may be advanced as vby means of a suitable carrier, whereby any, adhering particles of water will be physically removed and the dish dried thereby as well :as 0f the said air.

AThe invention consists, furthermore, in certain novel y features of construction, whereby the air is only periodically directed toward thel dishes, being properly timed to the movement of the same, and in' such a manner as to provide for a sweeping effect. The nat-ure of the invention will best be understood when described inthe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is afront elevation of a dish washing machine and the 'improvedudrying apparatus employed in connection therewith, the washing tank of the machine being shownin'section. Fig.`2 is an enlarged rear elevation of .the drying'l apparatus. Fig. 3 is a section taken on the' line 3-3,1Fi 2.

, v Similar 'charactersv of reference' designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.; l

' Referring tothe drawings, lO'dcsignates the-washing tank, which is mounted on Aa suitable 'base 11; and contains the. washing- Awater fed 4thereto through a suitable inlet- 12 in a higher section of the tank, aswell as throughsuitable spray pipes1-3. 'The water thus introduced runs into the` lower or washi tained through an overflow lAy cleantout ing tank proper, whereits level is mainby the evaporating eiect,

pipe 15 is also provided at the baseof the tank.

The dishes are arranged to be carried through the water in the lower portionl of t-he tank by an endless belt 19, driven by sprockets -2O, and passing over rollers 21 loosely mounted upon a shaft. 22;'and are washed therein through the action of suitable paddlesv 23. The said belt 19 is composedof a plurality of dish retaining means orl baskets 24, lwhich are arranged to be periodically opened by a c'am 25 anda roller V26 to enable the dishes to be inserted, where- ,upon the baskets are closed by a roller 27 bearing upon a cam surface 28 of the baskets.

lThesprockets 2O are driven through intermediate mechanism from a m'otor 29, which drives also a cam 30 actuating a take-oit l frame or bridge 31ollowing the motion of the baskets to remove the dishes from-.the .endless belt as the same are presented. Cam 30, after its frame has delivered a dish, raises the said frame to such an extent that the succeeding basket and its dish may pass,

whereupon the take-ofi frame drops, through the action of the cam, again to ita/initial position to receive the next dish. lFrom the take-oft' frame 31, the dish slides by gravity upon the table 32; which is composed of a pluralitof longitudinal strips 33, preferably o wood. These strips are suitably separated to permit air to be blown therethrough, as well as to allow the passage thereover of push rods 34 havingextensions or guides 35 .projecting into the spaces between" the'strips 33. The 'pushrods are mounted upon-4 an endless chain driven through suitable sprockets 36 at the side ofthe table, -which sprockets are actuated through intermediate mechanism from the motor 29. As the dishes arejmoved over this table, through the action'of-the push rods 34, they encounter toward the farther endof said. tablefa stream orstreams of air under high pressure directed thereto from perforated -pipes 37 v embracing the said table. The' air is directed only at thetimes a dish is arranged to be -in'positiom' the supply ofair being controlled from4 a tank 38 through'the act-ion of a. cam 39 'on a spring pressed valve stem 40 of a valve 41. The

and at a considerably greater lspeed than tlietravel of said disli. This effects great economy of the air and also rovides for the forcible removal of partic es of Water which may have adhered to the dish, thus completely drying the saine. The oscillation of the air pipes is effected by mounting the sanie on spring drawn pivoted arm 42 controlled through theaction of a cam 43, driven through intermediate `mechanism from the lmotor 29; and the direction of the air is preferably such asi to strike the table at a slight angle, thereby insuring a sweeping action. A-hose connection 44 yis included between the air' pipes and the control-- ling valve toy permit of the oscillation of the said air pipes. After leaving the'table, the dishes pass over a roller 45 and into a delivery trough 46.

Although a table and movable push rods are shown to advance the dishes, yet I do not desireto restrict myself to this particular manner of presenting a dish to the air.

I claim l. Dryingapparatus, comprising: means to simultaneously direct air to both sides of an article to be dried; and means to periodically supply air under pressure to said air directing means. i

2. Drying apparatus, comprising: a perforated U-shape pipe; a valve device controlling the supply of air to the said U-,shape pipe; and a cam adapted to periodically actuate said valve device to supply air to the said U-shape pipe.

3. Drying apparatus, comprising: a suit-.

able table; means to move the articles to be dried over said table; a perforated U-shape pipe embracing a portion of said table; a valve device lcontrolling the supply of air to said-.U-shape pipe; and a cam timed to the movement of the articles over said table and adapted to periodically actuate said valve device -to supply air to the said U- shape pipe.

4. Drying apparatus, comprising: means to direct air to an article to be dried; means to periodically supply air under `pressure to said air directing means; and means to oscillate said air directing means.

5. Drying apparatus, comprising: a suitable table; means to move the articles to be dried over said table; means to direct air vtoward an article when it arrives at a particular portion of the table; and means to move said air directing means over the 'article in a direction counter to the movement of the said article and to then return the said air directing means.

6. Drying apparatus, comprising: a suitable table; means to move the articles to be dried over said table; means to direct air toward an article when the same arrives at a particular portion of the table; and a cam timed to the movement of the article over said table to oscillate the said air directing means.

7. Drying apparatus7 comprising: a suitable table; means to move the articles to be dried over said table; a perforated U-sliape pipe embracing a portion of said table; a Valve device controlling the supply of air to said U-sliape pipe; a cam timed to the movement of the articles over said table and adapted to periodically actuate said valve device to supply air to the U-shape pipe; and a cam timed to the movement of the articles over said table to oscillate the said air directing means.

S. Drying apparatus, comprising: a perforated U-sliape pipe; a.l valve device controlling the supply of air to said U-sha Je pipe, and means to periodically actuate t e said valve device to supply air to said U- shape pipe; a flexible hose connection between said U-shape pipe and the said valve device; a pivoted spring drawn arm carrying said U-shape pipe; and a suitably driven cani engaging said arm.

9. Drying'apparatus, comprising: a table consisting of a plurality of longitudinal strips of suitable material, separated from one another, to receive the articles to be dried; means to move said articles over said table; means embracing said longitudinal strips transversely to their length; and means to supply air under pressure thereto.

10. Drying apparatus, comprising: a table consisting of a plurality of longitudinal Strips of suitable material, separated from one another, to receive the articles to be dried; a plurality of suitably spaced push rods, and means to advance the same over said table to move the said articles thereover; `means embracing said longitudinal strips transversely to their length; and,

means to supply air under pressure thereto. Signed at New York, in the county of New York, and State of New-York, this 13th day of April A. D. 1912.

' WILLIAM T. HOOFNAGLE.' Witnesses: l'

LAURA E. SMITH, FREDK. F. SCHUETZ. 

